Results 3,141-3,160 of 26,565 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: From 1 May 2023, when a HAP tenant defaults on their differential rent payment to the local authority they will be offered the option of a payment plan to assist them in maintaining their tenancy and allow the HAP payment to the landlord to continue. If the tenant defaults on payment of differential rent or the payment plan, under the Landlord Payment Guarantee, the HAP payment to the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Rental Sector (8 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is committed under Housing for All to developing a roadmap to implement minimum Building Energy Rating (BER) standards, where feasible, for the private rental sector. This action is aimed at both improving the quality of housing stock available to rent and contributing to meeting our overall national climate targets in relation to emissions reduction. It will increase energy...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (3 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The First Home Scheme, which launched in July 2022, is a shared equity scheme, designed to help bridge the gap for eligible first-time buyers, eligible homebuyers, and self-builders, between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home (within price ceilings established across the country). Full details are available on the First Home Scheme website, www.firsthomescheme.ie. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (3 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 109 together. Pathway 4 of Housing for All sets out a blueprint to address vacancy and make efficient use of our existing housing stock. The Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, introduced in July 2022 under the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, supports bringing vacant and derelict properties back into use as homes. A grant of up to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Pay (3 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Eligible retiring councillors have been paid a gratuity since 2002. The present scheme was established in June of this year under S.I. No. 276 of 2024. The present Regulations, which commenced on 14 June 2024, provide that where an elected member of a local authority ceases to hold office and has at least two years' qualifying service having – (a) reached the age of 50 years,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Public Sector Pay (3 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Regulations for a revised non-contributory gratuity scheme for local authority elected members have recently been published under S.I. No. 276 of 2024. Related guidance has been issued to local authority staff and serving elected members. The Regulations, which commenced on 14 June 2024, provide that where an elected member of a local authority ceases to hold office and has at least two...

Financial Resolutions 2024 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Níl mé cinnte faoi sin. Like the four budgets before it, this year's budget is unprecedented. It provides more than €6 billion in capital to help us to deliver social and affordable homes for our people. It is the most that any Government has ever invested in housing. It is made up of more than €3.1 billion in Exchequer funding, an additional €1.25 billion...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: An Bord Pleanála (the Board) is the national independent statutory body with responsibility for the determination of planning appeals and direct applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and certain other Acts. The information requested is not held by my Department. Arrangements have been put in place by all...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Seanad Elections (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024 was published on 27 September. The provisions in the Bill respond to the Supreme Court decisions last year which found that sections 6 and 7 of the Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937 were unconstitutional because they were not consistent with Article 18.4.2 of the Constitution, as amended. The Court deemed that the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Process (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future contains a specific commitment to examine the Scottish experience of reducing the voting age in order to draw conclusions. The Programme for Government also committed to the establishment of a statutory, independent Electoral Commission. This was established on the 9 February 2023. An Coimisiún Toghcháin, Ireland’s...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Act of 2000) if a person wishes to seek an alteration of a permission from the planning authority they submit an application under section 34 of the Act. Applications for permission under section 34 are subject to a 5 week period for public submissions or observations under Article 29 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001. Under section...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, has responsibility for the overall development of national planning policy and legislation. Anaerobic digestors require an application for planning permission in accordance with section 34 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. This ensures that planning authorities can give proper consideration to a range of factors,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Approved Housing Bodies (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department operates a number of funding programmes that assist local authorities to work in partnership with Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to construct and purchase homes and make them available for social housing. One such programme that local authorities and AHBs progress Social Housing projects through is the Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF). CALF funding is capital support...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 ('the 2022 Act') on 22 June 2023, which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The Housing Agency wrote to me and recommended that an order under Section 5(9) of the Act designating Sligo County Council in respect of the whole of its...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In December 2023, I approved funding for a number of projects under my Department's funding scheme for the Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs of Villages without access to public waste water services. I can confirm that Wexford County Council applied and were approved funding under the Programme for a project in the village of Ramsgrange. Each local authority has a Rural Water...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (2 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 140 together. Housing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Local Authority Affordable Purchase Scheme (LAAPS) was introduced under the Affordable Housing Act 2021. It assists first-time buyers purchasing Local Authority-delivered new homes. This scheme uses an equity share model to give eligible purchasers the opportunity of home ownership at a significant discount. Section 12(2) of the Act outlines that the purchase of an affordable...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 266 together. The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme provides for the purchase by eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses which are available for sale under the scheme. All applications for the Scheme must satisfy the requirements outlined in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 and Housing (Sale of Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Policies (1 Oct 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I refer to my reply to Question No. 54 of 25 September 2024 which sets out the position in this matter.